CBS Insider: Cards should ‘think very hard’ about drafting QB early

The Arizona Cardinals hoped to at least temporarily solve their quarterback woes when they traded for Carson Palmer during the offseason.

But just four games into his career in Arizona, CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora says the Cardinals “have to think very hard” about drafting a quarterback early in the 2014 draft, though Palmer’s under contract through 2015.

Palmer has been OK during his time with the Cardinals, completing 57.2 percent of his passes for 1,010 yards, though he’s thrown six interceptions to go with just four touchdowns. While he’s a drastic improvement over what the Cardinals had in place before him, he doesn’t look like someone who can be relied on to lead them to the playoffs.

The Cardinals will likely find themselves picking anywhere from the early-to-mid first round, and the 2014 quarterback class is expected to be a significant improvement over last year’s draft.

Some of the names that could be available when the Cardinals make their early selections include Georgia’s Aaron Murray, Clemson’s Tajh Boyd, Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater, Oregon’s Marcus Mariota and UCLA’s Brett Hundley, as well as several athletic quarterbacks that could make for an interesting project like Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel or Ohio State’s Braxton Miller.